Police arrested a Boulder man after an officer said he tried to strangle her in a fight after she stopped him for riding his bicycle drunk Sunday night, according to a police report.

Witnesses told police a man later identified as Matthew James Tello, 24, was on his bicycle with a friend riding on the handlebars in the 3200 block of 28th Street, according to the report.

The pair were riding south when they came up to the left side of a car waiting to pull out of the KFC parking lot, and began yelling at the driver, according to witnesses. Tello's passenger got off the bicycle and began banging his hands on the car, before circling around to the right side of the vehicle and kicking the front passenger-side door, causing significant damage. Tello and the other man then left the area, and witnesses called police.

While officers were talking to the witnesses, Officer Beth McNalley, who said she found Tello at a dirt lot in the 2600 block of 28th Street, pressed the emergency button on her radio. According to the report, dispatchers could hear a male taunting the officer, saying, "You're a real big (expletive) cop."

Another officer arrived on scene and observed the female officer and Tello fighting, and was able to tackle Tello and handcuff him even as he continued to resist arrest, according to the report. The officer noted McNalley started coughing and had an unusually raspy voice.

In her report, McNalley said when she encountered Tello he was uncooperative and continually swore at her. She was able to get one cuff on Tello before he put his other hand around her throat and began squeezing. She said she never lost consciousness, but that her airway was restricted. She reported that she told Tello she would fire on him and that she "began to remove my gun from the holster because I was in fear for my life," before the second officer arrived.

According to the police report, Tello is 5-feet 10-inches while McNalley is 5-foot-1. McNalley was taken to Boulder Community Hospital and later released

After being handcuffed, Tello told officers, "I'm drunk, it's my birthday," according to the report. Officers noted his speech was slurred and also found a flask containing what appeared to be alcohol.

Witnesses were able to get a better physical description of Tello after the initial incident Sunday because they said he returned to the scene to look for his wallet which he believed he dropped nearby, according to a police report.

The suspect who witnesses said was on the handlebars of Tello's bicycle was not found.

Tello was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, second-degree assault, felony menacing, obstructing a police officer, resisting arrest, DUI and being an accessory to a crime.

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